Treatment of bimodality in proficiency test of pH in bioethanol matrix

The pH value in bioethanol is a quality control parameter related to its acidity and to the corrosiveness of vehicle engines when it is used as fuel. In order to verify the comparability and reliability of the measurement of pH in bioethanol matrix among some experienced chemical laboratories, reference material (RM) of bioethanol developed by Inmetro - the Brazilian National Metrology Institute - was used in a proficiency testing (PT) scheme. There was a difference of more than one unit in the value of the pH measured due to the type of internal filling electrolytic solutions (potassium chloride, KCl or lithium chloride, LiCl) from the commercial pH combination electrodes used by the participant laboratories. Therefore, bimodal distribution has occurred from the data of this PT scheme. This work aims to present the possibilities that a PT scheme provider can use to overcome the bimodality problem. Data from the PT of pH in bioethanol were treated by two different statistical approaches: kernel density model and the mixture of distributions. Application of these statistical treatments improved the initial diagnoses of PT provider, by solving bimodality problem and contributing for a better performance evaluation in measuring pH of bioethanol.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Accreditation and Quality Assurance (ACQUAL

Developing a site-conditions map for seismic hazard Assessment in Portugal

The evaluation of site effects on a broad scale is a critical issue for seismic hazard and risk assessment, land use planning and emergency planning. As characterization of site conditions based on the shear-wave velocity has become increasingly important, several methods have been proposed in the literature to estimate its average over the first thirty meters (Vs30) from more extensively available data. These methods include correlations with geologic-geographic defined units and topographic slope. In this paper we present the first steps towards the development of a site–conditions map for Portugal, based on a regional database of shear-wave velocity data, together with geological, geographic, and lithological information. We computed Vs30 for each database site and classified it according to the corresponding geological-lithological information using maps at the smallest scale available (usually 1:50000). We evaluated the consistency of Vs30 values within generalized-geological classes, and assessed the performance of expedient methodologies proposed in the literature

Alterations in brain connectivity due to plasticity and synaptic delay

Brain plasticity refers to brain's ability to change neuronal connections, as a result of environmental stimuli, new experiences, or damage. In this work, we study the effects of the synaptic delay on both the coupling strengths and synchronisation in a neuronal network with synaptic plasticity. We build a network of Hodgkin-Huxley neurons, where the plasticity is given by the Hebbian rules. We verify that without time delay the excitatory synapses became stronger from the high frequency to low frequency neurons and the inhibitory synapses increases in the opposite way, when the delay is increased the network presents a non-trivial topology. Regarding the synchronisation, only for small values of the synaptic delay this phenomenon is observed

Generalized partition functions and interpolating statistics

We show that the assumption of quasiperiodic boundary conditions (those that interpolate continuously periodic and antiperiodic conditions) in order to compute partition functions of relativistic particles in 2+1 space-time can be related with anyonic physics. In particular, in the low temperature limit, our result leads to the well known second virial coefficient for anyons. Besides, we also obtain the high temperature limit as well as the full temperature dependence of this coefficient.Comment: 12 pages, Latex, updated and enlarged versio

Modificações na composição química e padrão de fermentação em silagens de seis híbridos de milho.

Empresas de melhoramento genético vegetal lançam vários híbridos de milho no mercado todos os anos. Grande parte desses híbridos é utilizada para a produção de silagem. Dessa forma, esse trabalho objetivou estudar as principais modificações da composição química e o padrão de fermentação das silagens produzidas por seis híbridos de milho (HD 9481, P 3041, C 435, HT 951005, HT 47C e AG 5011). As plantas inteiras do milho foram ensiladas no estádio de maturidade fisiológica (3/4 de "linha do leite"), em silos laboratoriais de PVC, com 10 cm de diâmetro. A forragem foi avaliada com 0 (zero), 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 28 e 56 dias após a ensilagem. Foram analisados os teores de matéria seca (MS), de carboidratos solúveis (CS), de fibra detergente neutro (FDN), de proteína bruta (PB), de nitrogênio amoniacal e o pH. Os teores médios de MS nas silagens variaram de 34,51 a 42,90%. A maior parte dos CS foi consumida até o 5º dia da fermentação. Os teores de PB e de FDN permaneceram praticamente estáveis durante a ensilagem. Os valores de pH se estabilizaram a partir do 5º dia da fermentação, para a maioria dos híbridos, e foram sempre menores que 3,82 no 56º dia. Os teores de nitrogênio amoniacal, embora não tenham se estabilizado até o 56º dia da ensilagem, foram sempre menores que 10%. As silagens foram classificadas como de boa qualidade

Produções de matéria natural e de matéria seca e relação folha/colmo de vinte e cinco híbridos de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor) com capim sudão (Sorghum sudanense) utilizados para produção de forragem em regime de corte.

Como item do programa de melhoramento de sorgo do Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de MIlho e Sorgo da Embrapa em convenio com a Escola de veterinária da UFMG, foi conduzido um estudo com vinte e tres hibridos experimentais e dos hibridos comercias de Sorghum bicolor x Sorghum sundanese, utilizados para a producao de forragem em regime de corte. Foram realizadas avaliacoes quanto às producoes de materia natural e de materia seca (MS), relacao folha/colmo e altura das plantas colhidas aos 57 dias apos o plantio. As producoes de materia natural variaram de 24,8 a 37,8 t/ha, enquanto as produções de MS foram de 13,8 A 17,6 t/ha, ambas sem diferencas significativas (p<0,05) entre os tratamentos. Houve grande variacao quanto a relacao folha/colmo. com diferença significativa (p<0,05) entre os hibridos. A altura media das plantas foi de 147 cm, sendo notada correlacao positiva (p<0,05) entre esta caracteristica e os parametros de producao. Utilizou-se um delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso com tres repeticoes por tratamento (hibridos) e a comparacao das medias foi feita pelo teste de agrupamento de Scott-Knott (p<0,05)

Consumo e digestibilidade aparente da matéria seca, da proteína bruta e da energia de silagens de quatro genotipos de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) por ovinos.

The nitrogen balance, the consumption and the apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and the energy of the silages of four genotypes of sorghum were evaluated. The consumption of dry matter and crude energy did not differ among the hibrids. The largest apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude energy and the consumption of digestible dry matter and energy, were observed for BR601 genotype. The largest consumption of crude protein, was observed for BR700 and the smallest for AG2002 genotypes (P<0.05). The largest apparent digestibility of protein was observed for BR601 and the smallest one for BR701 (P<0.05) genotype. The consumption of digestible protein was larger for BR601 and BR700. All treatments showed positive nitrogen balance and did not differ among them

Temporal variability and spatial dynamics of CO2 and CH4 concentrations and fluxes in the Zambezi River system

Spanning over 2900 km in length and with a catchment of approximately 1.4 million km2, the Zambezi River is the fourth largest river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from the African continent. Yet, there is surprisingly little or no information on carbon (C) cycling in this large river system. As part of a broader study on the riverine biogeochemistry in the Zambezi River basin, we present here mainstream dissolved CO2 and CH4 data collected during 2012 and 2013 over two climatic seasons (dry and wet) to constrain the interannual variability, seasonality and spatial heterogeneity of partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and CH4 concentrations and fluxes along the aquatic continuum, in relation to physico-chemical parameters (temperature, conductivity, oxygen, and pH) and various carbon pools (dissolved and particulate, organic and inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, primary production, respiration and net aquatic metabolism). Both pCO2 and CH4 variability was high, ranging from minimal values of 150 ppm and 7 nM, respectively, mainly in the two large reservoirs (the Kariba and the Cabora Bassa characterized by high pH and oxygen and low DOC), up to maximum values of 12,500 ppm and 12,130 nM, CO2 and CH4, respectively, mostly below floodplains/wetlands (low pH and oxygen levels, high DOC and POC concentrations). The interannual variability was relatively large for both CO2 and CH4 (mean pCO2: 2350 ppm in 2013 vs. 3180 ppm in 2013; mean CH4: 600 nM in 2012 vs. 1000 nM in 2013) and significantly higher (up to two fold) during wet season compared to dry season closely linked to distinct seasonal hydrological characteristics. Overall, no clear pattern was observed along the longitudinal gradient as river CO2 and CH4 concentrations are largely influenced by the presence of floodplains/wetlands, anthropogenic reservoirs or natural barriers (waterfalls/ rapids). Following closely the concentration patterns, river CO2 and CH4 mean fluxes of 3440 mg C-CO2 m-2 d-1 and 50 mg C-CH4 m-2 d-1, respectively, were well within the range of literature data for tropical river systems, while the two reservoirs were a sink of atmospheric CO2 (-240 mg C-CO2 m-2 d-1) and a low CH4 source (4 mg C-CH4 m-2 d-1)